Italianamerican

Scorsese used to wrap up each feature by hustling through a fast documentary on its tail, a practice that unfortunately he seems to have discontinued. Made just after Mean Streets, Italianamerican proves just as instructive about life in Little Italy as Johnny Boy's saga. It's simply Catherine and Charles Scorsese sitting reminiscing on a plastic sofa; but their son Marty demonstrates an early maturity by allowing them a lot of living-space and little interference, from which a likeable and affectionate portrait emerges. Charles is a regular, unpretentious guy; Catherine an engaging, garrulous mama, from whom Scorsese obviously inherited his furious logorrhea. She also makes meatballs, whose recipe is included on the credits. CPea.